One commenter here refers to the “vax” incident. This reference may be obscure to some people and so, as the source of Viet wisdom, the Bolsavik feels obligated to explain.
VAX, short for Vietnamese-American eXposure, was an English-language TV show broadcast on Saigon TV, a hip MTV-documentary style program that featured diverse aspects of the Viet community.
The operative term in the previous sentence is actually “English-language.” This will come in handy later.
Now, most people are aware of the HiTek incident of 1999. That’s the term used by non-Viets, referring to the video store which protestors targeted. Viets call it the Tran Truong incident, after the store’s owner. Truong displayed an altar to Ho Chi Minh and the current flag of Vietnam, and got protested as a result.
So, that was in 1999.
Fast forward to 2007. VAX ran a retro look at the protest, talked to the directors of the PBS documentary “Saigon: U.S.A.” and, as part of the program, showed CNN footage of the protest which includes 5 seconds of close up of Tran Truong’s altar — i.e. the lighted Ho Chi Minh portrait — the exact same picture shown here.
If you’re gonna talk about the protest, you got to show the scene, right?
Apparently not.
A half-dozen angry men showed up at Saigon TV and accused VAX of being communist sympathizers. Among these men was Cung The Tran, now a defendant in Nguoi Viet‘s lawsuit. They received support from right-wing radio hosts such a Viet Dzung, regarded as the voice of protests big and small. So Saigon TV canceled the remainder of VAX’s 12-week contract. Read more here, a report by Vu Huy Nguyen and Hanh Kim Quach on the Register.
Now, if the Ho Chi Minh picture was shown as part of reporting on Tran Truong, why did people think VAX was communist?
Um.
Did the Bolsavik mention that the program was in English?
.
“DDa~ la`m trai soo’ng trong tro*i` dda’t, pha?i co’ danh gi` vo*’i nu’i soong.” –Nguyee~n Coong Tru*’. Influenced by the famous general’s poems, most of the Viets always want to have some fame during their life time. Some people achieve fame by hard work, but it takes time, energy, efforts, and some minimal intelligence. Others, who cannot afford those elements of fame achievement, chose a short cut: Declaring themselves anti-communist freedom fighters, an instant fame praised and appreciated blindly by the Viet communities!
You’re right on, Tien Huynh.
I think Little Saigon has two qualities that distinguishes it from the rest of the world
1. It’s a protest capital of the US.
2. protesting is considered a legitimate occupation, funded by tax payers’ monies through various means.
As a Vietnamese American youth and someone who has grown up in Little Saigon, I always find all these incidents so heartbreaking. How is my generation suppose to learn or care about Vietnamese culture and history if our voices are constantly oppressed and dialogue is never permitted? How is threats, intimidation, and pointless protesting suppose to move our community forward? All the time and energy spent protesting can be used to addressed current REAL problems in our community or human rights/poverty/medical issues in Viet Nam. I was so excited to go see the VAALA gallery because I knew that it was a bold step forward for our community, but yet again, the extremists that represent very little of the VA community got their way. I am angry that my right to experience Vietnamese art and culture was denied because of close-minded folks who think that freedom of speech only goes one way. Stop taking away my voice or else I’m going to come demanding it back.
chau nguyen, little saigon also has the biggest concentration of communists in america. and your future, the way you combat these ridiculous protests is you have a counter protest because if there isnt this type of thing will continue to happen. i didnt even get a chance to see the exibit because of these filthy vermin who hate our freedoms here. it only encourages them to continue this bad behavior.
A commie here, a commie there. Anti-commies everywhere. Please remember that we both celebrate Tet and most likely have children. Let’s take a break during the holiday and celebrate with the family. Hahaha…
Revised and Reposted :
** It is a huge loss for VAALA to let one artwork dominate and (then) destroy the whole art exhibit, which many aspiring artists have worked so hard to contribute. Forcing your particular view point upon the community is sure way to damage your own call for dialogue.
** It is a huge loss for those opposing the exhibit, the main stream media once again describe this group as oppressor of individual freedom of expression.
** It is a huge loss for Vietnamese community. The only means of resolution within the Vietnamese community is street justice ( both sides are using ).
** VAALA as the instigator of this conflict bears more responsibility for this publicity disaster, thus should initiate some measure of reconciliation.
** The opposition group must demonstrate the ability to transcend above parochial pettiness and to seek wider consensus.
jose. solorio wannabe, if you truly miss the art propaganda exhibit……go take the first plane out to vietnam today. You can watch it daily there.
jose, your idea sounds excellent. Let’s stage an anti-protest protest some time after the Lunar New Year. The Bolsavik, who’s pretty unhappy with the VAALA exhibit’s shutdown, can spearhead this effort since he’s already got a blog. I’ll be the first one to sign up. Hahahah.
Anyway, who’s in?
sons, keep whining… let me know if you need some Kleenex…
hey jung kim, i dont live in vietnam i wasnt born in vietnam i was born in america which would make me an american. i dont need to go to vietnam to look at communist filth the communist filth is already here and holding protests all over the place. the problem with people like you and the filthy communists who picket anything they think is a “communist threat” only shows what communists they really are are. the thing is they are so ignorant they dont realize how stupid they are. kind of like george bush and dick cheney who hate their country but are too stupid to realize it. the same goes for the filth that is in our community. real freedom means real responsibility and the knowlege that in this country true freedom is not only worth fighting for but also dieing for. i find it shameful that such ignorance has infiltrated our community and you jung kim are living breathing proof of that. if you dont like the freedoms we have here you should go back to vietnam not me. i’ll bet you wouldnt be spouting off like you are here. and by the way jung kim, every now and then you should thank an american vietnam vet soldier who fought for you and for the rights you have here in this country. at least the ones we still have left.
jose solorio wannabe……….can’t goto bed early these days?
Arturo Pedroza makes a special drink with corona to relieve/end your misery cholo life.
jose solorio wannabe ….maybe you should go back to your motherland mexico with Arturo Pedroza.
bolsavik,
if u don’t know the real motive behind saigon tv’s shutting down of vax programs, then shut your mouth. don’t stir things up any more.
and if u knew the real reason, then don’t play the game of innocence here. by bringing back the vax incident u had tried to make all the protesters look very bad. but the really bad person here is you, who is stubborn and always think that your youthful thinking is right while the first generation’s thingking doesn’t worth a grain of salt.
let me tell you this: i’m younger than you, and i support the protests at vaala.
and also let me tell you this: phan ngoc tieu (then ceo/owner of saigon tv) has personal conflict with le binh, president of defuncted vabc tv. as he found out that vax is actually owned by vabc, he immediately cancelled it. to have a good excuse, he called his people and staged a mock protest.
Jose S***,
For an “American”, you whine too much. Get a life and a real job to go with it. You sounded like an idiot every time you post on this blog. You sure live up to your last name.
Hey Chau & Tien Huynh,
You guys deprive me of my right to protest. What happened here?
Gossip,
Please protest and exercise your First Amend right. This is America. Let these failing “artists” eat crow. They look like a bunch of losers who can’t even fill out paperwork correctly.
stop whining, i am an american and i dont like filthy communists protesting in my country trying to shut things down that they dont like. if you dont like it here in america you should leave. and take the commies already here back with you. i’ll bet they wont be protesting over there eh? and why dont you use your real name? scared? ashamed? not me, i’m an american mothafu****!!
yo! jose.solorio wannabe, you are pathetic mexican cholo constantly licking off dried up salsa from short thumb ….matching the size of your unmanly imitated male organ barely noticeable without prescription glass.
jose. solorio wannabe, my dog was born here too but unlike you he has proper manner.
@professor: Oh yeah, get real. Like Larry Phan can just tell people to protest and they obey. Or are you insinuating that Tran The Cung is a protestor for hire? Or that Viet Dzung will agitate for money? Don’t think so.